Page 17

Marinah

After five minutes of meditation, I took a steady breath and opened my eyes. “Now that our heads are clear, do we have word on the Federation’s location?”

Beck’s eyes snapped open impatiently, and the sharp tone of his voice made it clear the meditation hadn’t worked its magic on him. I made a mental note to schedule a few private sessions with him later. “Landan reported about an hour ago that one of his scouting planes spotted Federation ships approximately eight hours away, somewhere between Key West and us. At most, we’ve got eight hours to prepare.”

Weariness tugged at me, and I stifled a yawn. “The timing makes sense,” I said, launching into the explanation about the hellhounds chained offshore. As I spoke, horror spread across the men’s faces. Even Nokita, who’d had time to process what we’d seen, looked visibly shaken. “This battle is two-fold,” I continued. “They’ll release the hellhounds first to disrupt our Warriors and kill as many of us as possible, then send in troops to finish the job. If we can interrupt the signal that releases the hellhounds, we’ll gain valuable time.”

“How did they get that many hounds into position?” Beck asked.

“My guess is they worked with Knet, and it’s been a slow process. They’ve likely been working on it for months.”

Beck shook his head slowly, and his eyes burned with hatred for Knet the traitor.

Axel cleared his throat. “It might be safer for the humans to leave the island and join the outposts,” he suggested cautiously.

I leveled my Nova death stare at him, and Ms. Beast added another cycle of K-5 for good measure. Satisfaction coursed through me when he flinched. “They are safer here,” I said, my tone final.

They wouldn’t leave.” The women of the island had taught me that. They were terrified of the hellhounds and the Federation, but this was their home, and they were willing to fight for it with their men and the help of our Warriors. I shifted my attention to Nokita. “We need a way to jam the signal so they can’t release the hellhounds. I needed it yesterday.”

His eyes went slightly blank as he considered the challenge. After a moment, he nodded. “I’ll get it to you as soon as possible.”

“You have two hours. Go.”

Nokita left, and all eyes returned to me. I turned my focus to Labyrinth. “How many working whistles do we have?”

“Two hundred and fifty,” Labyrinth reported. “The damaged whistles couldn’t be salvaged and were destroyed per your orders. We’ve checked all the whistles distributed to the islanders, and they’re good to go.”

“Distribute the remaining whistles to anyone who doesn’t have one going as young as eight years old,” I ordered. “If Nokita doesn’t come through with the jammer, I want the humans protected from the hounds. Their parents can give them brief instructions.” My fingers drummed on the conference table as I thought. “Can we bomb the Federation ships before they enter our waters?”

“Yes,” Labyrinth said confidently.

I shifted my gaze to Cabel, who blinked, waiting for what was coming. “I’ve got a job for you. You’re not going to like it, but it’s critical.” He tilted his head slightly, a sign he was bracing himself. “We can’t wait to see if Nokita delivers the jammer; your team will eliminate as many hellhounds in the ocean as possible.”

His expression didn’t change. “We’ll take their heads,” he said matter-of-factly.

“There are thousands chained underwater, by King’s estimate,” I explained.

Cabel’s eyes met mine, his lips quirking into a small, almost feral smile. “We’ll take their heads,” he repeated, with the kind of enthusiasm only he could muster. Ms. Beast grumbled at the prolonged eye contact, and he averted his gaze.

“I also need a full map of where the hellhounds are located and their reach along the coast,” I added. “Get me numbers and precise locations. Take a hundred men. Report back once you have what I’ve asked for.”

Turning to Alden, I gave him his assignment. “The tanks and artillery are yours. Position them strategically around the citadel. Tow in the non-operational ones and make them look functional. They won’t know they’re useless, and it’ll make us appear stronger. Knet was never privy to our full battle plans outside of the hellhounds. If we can discredit him, the Federation will doubt the rest of what he’s told them.”

Beck’s low growl broke the moment. “If Knet comes with the Federation troops, he’s mine.”

“You command all the fun,” Alden said with a grin. “Does that mean if I get to him first, I have to save him for you or can I at least break a few bones?”

I looked between the two men. “I want him alive, but if he’s only barely alive, I can live with that.”

“Done,” Alden said, his grin suggesting he’d enjoy the task more than he probably should. After the dust settled over our original disagreement months ago, I’d come to value his judgment. I couldn’t say the same for Beck, who seemed to make it his life’s mission to get on my nerves. Too bad I liked Missy and Ruth so much; otherwise, Beck might have mysteriously disappeared by now. The thought of swinging him around by his legs and listening to him scream brought me a sliver of satisfaction.

I met each man’s eyes. “We need a plan B.”

“Why?” Beck asked, because, of course, that’s what Beck does.

K-5 stirred inside me; a restless, pulsing energy that made me want to shut him up permanently regardless of his family. I wasn’t King. I didn’t have the patience for Beck’s constant questioning, and it was something I’d be addressing soon. If ripping out his throat wouldn’t work, I’d settle for something more subtle, like dislocating a few joints.

I took a deep breath, forcing the K-5 energy back down, and replied in the calmest voice I could muster. Bonus points for not speaking to him like a two-year-old. “Because if we can’t stop the release of the hellhounds or manage to cripple the Federation ships before they arrive, we need a backup plan.”

Beck knew this, of course. He drilled me in warfare constantly, enjoying every moment of making me feel inadequate. This stuff came naturally to him and King. They were born for war. Me? I’d been learning on the fly. One day, Beck had caught me reading The Art of War by Sun Tzu, and I’d had to endure an hour-long lecture about why it was overrated and how Vom Kriege (On War) by Clausewitz was the definitive text on warfare. Sheesh. I was pretty sure my eyes had glazed over five minutes in, but that hadn’t stopped him from continuing.

While I fumed silently, I noticed something odd. The men were unusually quiet, exchanging glances and then lowering their eyes, as if they knew something I didn’t.

“What?” I finally snapped, irritation sharpening the word.

My mate stepped in before I lost my grip and started tearing limbs off. “You, Marinah,” King said, his voice laced with a trace of humor. “You’re the backup plan.”

Someone strangle me, please. My patience was hanging by a thread, and I was about to snap when a soft shuffle at the door pulled my attention. I shot to my feet, crossed the room in three strides, and yanked the door open.

Two children tumbled inside. Che looked guilty, his wide eyes darting everywhere except at me, while Ruth wore an irritated expression that practically screamed, How dare you catch me?

I grabbed Che by the back of his shirt, lifting him off the ground until his face was level with mine. His big, pleading eyes stared back at me as he dangled in my grasp.

“Look at what strong muscles she has,” Ruth said, her voice dripping with mock admiration. She leaned casually against the doorframe, a smug smirk curling her lips. Her defiance was as maddening as ever, and it tested every ounce of restraint I had left.

She was great during training, and she hadn’t gone out hunting hellhounds by herself or with Che once, but she still defied me. Even with the added rules I set in place, I’d forgotten to mention the conference room and that she couldn’t be within twenty yards of it. I needed to keep notes and that was on me. I took a slow, even breath.

“I’m sure your mother has no idea you’re here,” I said to Che, deliberately ignoring Ruth and her provocations.

“Umm, no,” he admitted in a small voice, his gaze darting away nervously. “But we want to help you kill hellhounds.” His hopeful tone carried the weight of a child’s earnestness, and his eyes silently begged me to understand.

I lifted him to the chair I’d been sitting in and dropped him into it without a hint of gentleness. His bottom hit the seat with a soft thud, and his wide eyes somehow managed to get even bigger. Turning to Ruth, I fixed her with my most withering glare.

Unfazed, she stomped over to Nokita’s vacated chair, plopped herself down, and crossed her arms defiantly. The sheer audacity of her actions radiated from her like a challenge, and I couldn’t help but marvel at how much she reminded me of a Shadow Warrior. If there were any way to turn this tiny girl-woman into one, we’d never worry about an attack again. Ruth would conquer the entire world before lunch.

But as much as I admired her spirit, I couldn’t allow her and Che to run wild. If they got themselves killed, I’d be left explaining the situation to their enraged parents. My heart would also be broken.

I looked at Beck, and his gaze slid from mine. He was no help at all.

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I inhaled deeply, forcing myself to find the balance between stern and non-murderous. They were just kids, I reminded myself. Exceptionally irritating kids, but kids, nonetheless.

I paced back and forth in front of them, giving them plenty of time to squirm. Ruth opened her mouth, but I held up a hand, cutting her off before she spoke. The men stood by silently, watching me with what could only be described as wary curiosity. If I was being honest, they were terrified of Ruth. Despite being human, she acted like a Shadow Warrior through and through. Combine that with her small stature and young age, and I couldn’t blame their terror.

I took a deep breath, trying to settle my own nerves, and wished I had time for a quick meditation. Then an idea popped into my head, and I stopped pacing, turning to face the kids with a firm, no-nonsense stare.

“I’m assigning you to our most strategic job,” I announced, making sure my tone carried the weight of the responsibility I was about to give them. Ruth and Che’s eyes widened, anticipation practically radiating off them. “You might not like the fact that you’re human, but you are, and that means you will not be fighting hellhounds under any circumstances. Instead, you’re in charge of weapons.”

Their jaws practically dropped. Then I saw the excitement growing behind their initial surprise. Good. I had them exactly where I wanted them.

“You’ll be stationed in the armory,” I continued. “Your first job is to take an inventory of everything we have. After everyone is armed, I want an exact count of what’s left. This is one of the most critical responsibilities in the battle. Should I ask your mothers to help you?” I added the last part with a perfectly innocent tone that I knew would hit exactly the right nerve.

“No, ma’am,” Ruth snapped, sitting up straighter.

Che nodded emphatically. “We’ll be the best armory strategists you’ve ever seen, Marinah.” His use of the word "strategists" caught my attention. I wasn’t even surprised at this point. Ruth had clearly been teaching him from the war books she’d been sneaking from my collection.

“I’m counting on it,” I replied, nodding at them both. “I trust you to put safety first when dealing with the weapons. You can each choose yours before the men take theirs. When you’re in charge of the armory, you need to be heavily armed with the best we have.” I’d taken them both shooting and knew they understood gun and sword safety. I also knew it was drilled in by their parents too.

I watched their expressions shift from excitement to determination. But I wasn’t done.

“You have a lot of work ahead of you,” I said in the most serious tone I could manage. “And to do it well, you need to be rested. If you don’t sleep, your mothers are going to be on me about it,” I added with a pointed look. “Head to the armory now and get started. Tonight, I expect you to eat every bite of your dinner and be in bed early. Only a well-rested soldier is ready for battle.”

Ruth and Che nodded so solemnly that I had to suppress a smirk. As they scrambled out of the room, I finally exhaled. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but it would keep them out of trouble for now.

The kids darted off the moment I handed them the key to the armory. The sound of their shoes echoed pit-a-pat on the tile, gradually fading into the distance. When silence returned, the Shadow Warriors shifted their attention back to me, their eyes expectant.

Naturally, it was Beck who spoke first. “Didn’t you assign the weapons inventory job to Kamin last week after he was late for training?”

“I did,” I replied evenly.

“And now you need it done again?” His tone rose slightly, edged with skepticism.

I shook my head. “No, I need those two out of our hair and somewhere safe. If they don’t have direction, they’ll be underfoot, and we’ll end up leaping over them while trying to kill hellhounds.”

“Do you even know what weapons are in that room?” he asked, his voice bordering on exasperation. He broke eye contact when Ms. Beast stirred, releasing just a touch of K-5 as a warning.

I let the silence stretch for a beat before answering. “Did you know they robbed the armory months ago and stashed their favorite weapons?” I didn’t wait for his response. “This way, they’ll head to their little stockpile first, keep themselves entertained, and not mess up the weapons count Kamin gave me. Plus, they’ll include their stashed weapons on the new list.” I gave him a moment to absorb what I said. “There’s also a small room off the weapon’s room they can be locked into if needed.”

Beck’s irritation melted into an expression of grudging approval, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Can Missy and I come over and take lessons from you?” he asked.